Ink roller



INK ROLLER Filed May 14, 1965 m m-HM United States Patent 3,336,866 INKROLLER Nathaniel F. Hawthorne, Alameda, Calif., assignor to Friden, Inc,a corporation of Delaware Filed May 14, 1965, Ser. No. 455,766 2 Claims.(Cl. 101-348) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In rotary printing machines,the inking of the type die plate is effected by the rolling contact ofthe die plate with an inking roller. Such inking rollers are of varioustypes. This invention relates particularly to a laminated roller, thelaminate structure of the roller comprising a series of absorbent diskssuch as felt alternately arranged on a square shaft with a series ofresilient plastic disks. All of the disks (felt and plastic) are ofequal diameter and normally are not in contact with the print drum.However, during rotation of the print drum and as the type die platethereon moves into rolling contact with the inking roller, the plasticdisks sustain the impact of the raised type characters or other indiciaon the plate, thus reducing the wear of the felt disks. At this sametime, the type characters cause a slight deformation of the contactareal portion of the resilient plastic disks which is sufficient tocompress the adjacent felt disks causing ink to flow to the surface inthat immediate area, supplementing the capillary action. As the contactarea changes with the rotation of the roller, the previously deformedarea portion of the resilient disks returns to its normal condition andthe surplus ink is withdrawn into the felt in that area. Also, in theareas Where ink has been removed by the type characters and indicium, anormal return of ink to these areas is effected by capillary action.

This invention relates to an inking device, and more particularly to anink roller for transferring ink onto a rotary marking element.

There are basically two types of ink rollers, one of which is a cylinderor drum having an inking surface of porous rubber or absorbent material,such as felt, receiving ink from a series of rollers which serve toconvey the ink from a reservoir to the ink surface. In the use of thistype of ink roller, the surface must be cleaned repeatedly to maintainthe surface in a porous or resilient condition, as it tends to becomehardened and compacted with use.

The other type of ink roller is the fountain ink roller formed by acylinder providing an internal reservoir for the ink, the cylinderhaving a covering of porous material, or a series of axially arrangedrings of an absorbent material, such as felt. As in the first mentionedtype of ink roller, the porous material becomes clogged and immediatelyhardens and in those rollers formed of a series of rings of absorbentmaterial, the inking surface will not remain dimensionally stable, butwill rather tend to assume an out-of-round, or noncircular,cross-section, when moistened. At the same time, the felt tends tobecome compacted after repeated contact with the rotary print member,making it necessary to continually adjust the ink roller relative to theprint member to maintain sufficient contact therebetween.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an inkroller which will retain dimensional stability.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inking roller which isresistant to wear under all operating conditions.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from 3,336,856 PatentedAug. 22, 1967 the following description of a preferred embodiment asillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional. elevational view of a printing deviceshowing the rotary print drum, inking roller and ink supply mechanism;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the inking roller and print drum, theview being taken on the planes indicated by lines 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of the inking roller with a portion thereof broken awayto show the internal construction; and

FIG. 4 is an isometric projection of the inking roller showing thepartial assembly of the parts.

The invention is shown as being embodied in a printing device of thetype shown and described in the patent of Ingemar H. Lundquist, No.3,107,854, issued Oct. 22, 1963. The device embodying the inventioncomprises, generally, the base plate 10 which supports the framestructure within which the shaft 11 carrying the rotary print drum 12 issuitably journalled. Upon each cyclic rotation of the print drum 12, thetype die plate 13, secured thereon, makes a rolling contact with an inkroller 14 carried on a shaft 15 suitably journalled at its respectiveends in spaced parallel upstanding ears 16 and 17 (FIGS. 1 and 2) ofbracket 18, adjustably mounted by means of similar screws 19 on theauxiliary frame member 20. The auxiliary frame member 20 is secured onbase plate 10, and the adjustment of bracket 18 on the member 20 is suchthat the ink roller 14 may be moved toward and away from print drum 12as required.

The ink fountain 25 is suitably supported within the framework of themachine, as disclosed in the aforementioned patent, No. 3,107,854, andink is supplied from the fountain to ink roller 14 by selectiveadjustment of the ink supply roller carriage 26 upwardly and downwardly,in a well-known manner, upon manipulation of knob 27. Ink is suppliedfrom the fountain to the roller 14 by means of ink supply roller 28,intermediate roller 29 and supply roller 30,. the latter roller beingrocked downwardly and upwardly into and out of engagement, respectively,with roller 14. It will be noted that normally and for a greater part ofthe operating cycle, the print drum 12 is not in rolling contact withthe inking roller 14 as seen in FIG. 1..

The ink roller 14 is formed of each of two elements, the assembly ofwhich is such that the inking surface is more wear resistant and a moredimensionally stable roller diameter is maintained for longer rollerlife. Fof this purpose, a series of disks 31 and disks 32 are axiallyalternately arranged on a square sleeve 33 (FIGS. 3 and 4). Each of therespective end portions of the square sleeve 33 is turned to providesimilar hubs 34, the diameter of which is slightly less than the bore 35of each of similar metal disks 36. Also, the length of each of the hubs34 is sufiiciently greater than the thickest center portion of the disks36, so that upon placement of the respective disks 36 on hub 34, the endof the hubs may be peened, or otherwise formed, to secure the metaldisks in position on sleeve 33.

The shaft 15, .which serves to support the ink roller 14 for rotation inbracket 18, is of a diameter sufiiciently less than the inside diameterof the bore of sleeve 33 to effect a press fit of the shaft within thebore of the sleeve. Each end portion of the shaft 15 is knurled, as at41, in order to secure the roller 14 on shaft 15 upon insertion of theshaft within the bore of the sleeve 33.

Each of the disks 31 are formed of felt or other absorb ent material andhave a thickness of approximately Each of two of the felt disks 31 ispositioned on square sleeve 33 adjacent the inner surface of respectivemetal disks 36. Intermediate these felt disks 31,. and alternatelyarranged on the square sleeve 33, are the disks 32. Each of the disks32, equal in diameter to the felt disks 31, is of an acrylic treatedDacron and has a thickness of approximately & and each is provided witha series of equiangularly spaced openings 40 on a common radius. Theseperforations 40, which are preferably in diameter and eight in number,become effective to determine a degree of resiliency in the otherwiserigid disks 32, i.e., the larger the perforations and/or the greater thenumber, the more resilient the disks become.

In placing the disks 31 and 32 on the square shaft 33, the Dacron disks31 are contiguous with the adjacent felt disks 32, but withoutcompression of the felt disks. Thus, in operation and upon the initialcontact of the type die plate 13 with the ink roller 14, the impact isborne by the Dacron disks 32. As the raised type characters and otherconfigurations on the indicia plate 13 engage the thin resilient disks32, the chordal portion of each disk 32 is formed over slightly,altering the rotational plane of the disks in the area along the line ofrolling contact of the die plate and inking roller. Such deformation ofthe disks 32 serves to slightly compress felt disks 31, thereby causingthe ink to flow to the peripheral surface thereof and, by capillaryaction, form a film of ink across the peripheral surface of the Dacrondisks, thereby providing a continuous film of ink on the inking surfaceof the roller. Immediately following the rolling contact of the type dieplate 13 with the ink roller 14, the Dacron disks return to theiroriginal form and normal rotational plane as do the felt disks. Byvirtue of the resiliency of the Dacron disks, the ink roller 14 does notbecome outof-round or elliptical in cross-section and the extent of Wearof the felt disks 31 is determined by the degree of wear of the Dacrondisks 32. Also, the sponge-like action of the felt disks 31, by thecompression and release of the disks between adjacent Dacron disksduring each operation, prevents the accumulation of ink on the surfaceof the roller, thereby greatly reducing the hardening of the felt, thusprolonging the life of the roller 14.

What is claimed is:

1. An ink roller for a rotary printing device comprising a shaft, a pairof rigid circular plates, one secured on each end of said shaft, and aseries of disks of equal diameter axially and nonrotatably arranged incontiguity on said shaft between said plates, certain of said disksbeing of an ink absorbent material and the other of said disks beingresilient and impermeable to ink, the peripheral edges of said disksdefining an inking surface, said other of said disks being arranged onsaid shaft in alternate relationship with said certain of said diskswhereby a rolling pressure applied to the peripheral edges of said otherof said series of disks resiliently deforms said other disks to compresssaid certain of said disks to cause ink to flow radially outwardlytending to form a film of ink on the inking surface along the line ofrolling contact.

2. An ink roller for a rotary printing device comprising a square shaft,a pair of rigid circular plates, one secured on each end of said shaft,and a series of disks of equal diameter axially arranged on said shaftintermediate said plates, certain of said disks being ink absorbent andhaving a thickness of the order of about and the other of said disksbeing impermeable to ink and positioned along said shaft between andcontiguous with each of adjacent pairs of said certain of said disks,each of said other of said disks being of a thickness of the order ofabout and having a series of equiangularly spaced perforations thereinlending resiliency to said other of said disks whereby a rollingpressure applied to the peripheral edges of said other of said diskscauses an areal deformation of said other disks compressing said certainof said disks to cause a flow of ink therefrom forming a continuous filmof ink on the inking surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 253,183 2/1882 Chapman 29125822,772 6/1906 Robinson 101-348 X 1,281,003 10/1918 Henderson 1013482,416,123 2/1947 Siemen 29125 2,541,301 2/ 1951 Sissler.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

-F. A. WINANS, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN INK ROLLER FOR A ROTARY PRINTING DEVICE COMPRISING A SHAFT, A PAIROF RIGID CIRCULAR PLATES, ONE SECURED ON EACH END OF SAID SHAFT, AND ASERIES OF DISKS OF EQUAL DIAMETER AXIALLY AND NONROTATABLY ARRANGED INCONTIGUITY ON SAID SHAFT BETWEEN SAID PLATES, CERTAIN OF SAID DISKSBEING OF AN INK ABSORBENT MATERIAL AND THE OTHER OF SAID DISKS BEINGRESILIENT AND IMPERMEABLE TO INK, THE PERIPHERAL EDGES OF SAID DISKSDEFINING AN INKING SURFACE, SAID OTHER OF SAID DISKS BEING ARRANGED ONSAID SHAFT IN ALTERNATE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID CERTAIN OF SAID DISKSWHEREBY A ROLLING PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE PERIPHERAL EDGES OF SAID OTHEROF SAID SERIES OF DISKS RESILIENTLY DEFORMS SAID OTHER DISKS TO COMPRESSSAID CERTAIN OF SAID DISKS TO CAUSE INK TO FLOW RADIALLY OUTWARDLYTENDING TO FORM A FILM OF INK OF THE INKING SURFACE ALONG THE LINE OFROLLING CONTACT.